HC upholds suspension of BJP corporators

Belagavi: The Dharwad bench of the high court upheld the Belagavi regional commissioner's order suspending two BJP corporators for holding an ‘office of profit.' The ruling reinforces legal restrictions on elected representatives holding positions that create conflicts of interest.
The HC bench dismissed the petition filed by two members of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) seeking a stay on the order disqualifying them from membership of the BCC.
Regional commissioner Sanjay B Shettennavar had issued an order on Monday disqualifying Jayant Jadhav of Ward No. 23 and Mangesh Pawar of Ward No. 41, on charges of leasing out food stalls built by the public works department near Basaveshwar Circle in Belagavi in the names of their wives.
During the auction process of the food court stalls, Jayant Jadhav took the lease in the name of his wife Sonali, and Mangesh Pawar in the name of his wife Neeta. Neither of these two were elected as corporators when they took the lease in the auction. But after becoming corporators, these food stalls were not returned to the concerned.
Social activist Sujit Mulgund filed a complaint to the RC on Nov 9, 2023, demanding that the two corporators be disqualified. He alleged that both were elected as corporators, but they were taking benefits from the corporation without returning the shops, thus violating the Karnataka Municipal Council (KMC) Act.
After a thorough investigation, the RC issued an order disqualifying them. The disqualified corporators then approached the high court.